Bobby Douglass.....

[Pope Flick]

I recently found this little piece on Bobby Douglass, and thought it should be shared. Unlike a lot of semi-obscure guys who hold some ancient, off-beat records NFL Films actually did a piece on this guy back in the 80s.

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5620431495593334003 It clocks in at an easy 5 minutes.

 

He's quite a character, and just before my time. I suppose the older Bears fans can speak about him QBing the final years of Gayle Sayers career was rather frustrating. Seeing as how he gave way to Vince Evans, Bob Avellini, then Jim McMahon and the whole 80s mess as a Bearas fan I wonder why we're so hexed at this position?

 

BTW - the funniest ending to any NFL play is at 1:25. Anyone know if that was a touchdown?

 

One of the dumbest things I've seen in a game occurs at 3:11 - what in the wide world of sports was he thinking?

 

Also - he made the news recently, having been diagnosed with cancer.

 

 

Fred Mitchell Fred Mitchell AROUND TOWN

Douglass battling his toughest foe

Former Bears QB is tackling cancer

 

 

 

August 24, 2007

 

Rex Grossman's failure to handle two snaps from center in Monday night's exhibition game against the Colts has been treated by many as if it were a life-and-death proposition.

 

Bobby Douglass, who was perhaps the first Bears quarterback to be subjected to such harsh public criticism in the early 1970s, knows what Grossman is going through.

 

Douglass also knows about true life-and-death propositions. He is battling cancer.

 

"It has been a bit of a setback, but I'm very happy to say that they think they got it," Douglass said Thursday.

 

The once-strapping 6-foot-4-inch, 225-pound Douglass, 60, has lost 50 pounds because of his illness.

 

His 34-year-old season rushing record for NFL quarterbacks (968 yards in a 14-game schedule in 1972) was broken last season by Michael Vick, who had 1,039 yards in 16 games.

 

"I just have got to recuperate. That has been the hard part," Douglass said. "It's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. When you lose your ability to eat, it really tears up your body."

 

About the same time Bears fans were calling radio sports talk shows to blame Grossman for the team's 29-17 Super Bowl loss to the Colts, Douglass made a more startling discovery.

 

"The cancer was diagnosed right after the Super Bowl, actually," Douglass said. "I just got back from watching the game [in Miami] and I had a little swelling in my neck. They call it squamous cell. They did the test and it came out positive. So I began treatment within two or three weeks of that. It's a long treatment, about 18 weeks of actual treatment. And, of course, I have a lot of recovery work to do afterward."

 

Douglass will be among dozens of former NFL players—most of them Hall of Famers—participating in this weekend's Mike Ditka Hall of Fame Weekend. A celebrity golf event will be held Monday at Twin Orchards in Long Grove. Visit www.midamericasports.com or call 847-480-4801.

 

During a news conference at his downtown restaurant Thursday, Ditka presented a check for $50,000 to Father Jack Clair, the assistant executive director of Misericordia, an organization committed to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities. This weekend's activities also will augment the Ditka Trust Fund that assists former players such as Douglass.

 

"What's important in life?" Ditka said. "Sometimes it seems like the most important thing is getting the snap from the center. Yeah, it's important at a certain time. But when your health is on the line or your family is on the line, that becomes the most important thing.

 

"Bobby Douglass is a hell of a guy. He is putting on a courageous fight and, hopefully, he wins this battle. There is no guarantee when you have cancer. It sounds pretty good in his case that he is going to get a clean bill of health."

 

Dan Hampton, Jim Covert and Ted Hendricks also joined Ditka on Thursday. These former players and many other Hall of Famers will be on hand Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for an autograph signing at the Westin Chicago Northwest Hotel, 400 Park Blvd., Itasca. Fans are allowed to bring in items for the players to autograph, or footballs and helmets can be purchased at an exhibit for signing.

 

Among the Hall of Famers, former players and celebrities expected to attend are Dave Casper, Jack Youngblood, Paul Hornung, Gale Sayers, Lynn Swann and Charley Trippi.

 

Proceeds from the admission fee will benefit Ditka's Hall of Fame Assistance Trust. Douglass already has benefited.

 

"I had no insurance. So [the Ditka Trust] has helped me with some funds to take care of some things I couldn't take care of," Douglass said.

 

A hard-throwing left-handed passer who was an All-American at Kansas, Douglass once was married to Playboy model Carol O'Neal.

 

"I'm not independently wealthy," he said. "Although I have had better financial times, right now I am living month to month and I need people to help me through the fact that I can't work.

 

"This is the hardest thing I've had to do, certainly. You just are not 100 percent yourself. I'm tired at times. I have an equilibrium problem right now because of one of the medications I'm on. It's a tough fight, but I have to thank God that they think I am cancer-free. I will beat this and regain those 50 pounds, believe me."

 

Word on the street

Douglass said he is impressed with Grossman's poise and patience when it comes to handling criticism.

 

"It's similar to what I went through. But it's unusual that you would have someone who got you to the Super Bowl and yet would be quite so scrutinized," said Douglass, who was a second-round pick in 1969. "Once you get a team to the Super Bowl it should stop a little bit. Obviously, he's got some problems with some things, but he will straighten those out. He has some great instincts as a quarterback. Physically, he has some things he needs to work on."

 

The last word

"We don't know until we live a day in his body how he feels, what he has gone through, not only physically but mentally and emotionally. It's tough."

 

—Ditka, talking about Douglass' cancer battle.

 

fmitchell@tribune.com

 

 

Copyright © 2007, The Chicago Tribune

[LosGatosEnFuegos]

"It's always been hard for me to count on somebody else to do something."

Good thing he became a professional team sports player. That was indeed a TD at 1:25. Very funny stuff.

[policyvote]

Wait wait wait . . . was the reciever @ 1:25 DICK BUTKUS?!?

 

This was a really entertaining video. Mike Vick meets Brett Favre meets Rex Grossman.

 

Peace

policy

[Jumbie]

I remember him like it was yesterday. He had a ton of talent...and a monster arm. But, he just couldn't figure it all out. He would throw a 5 yard dump off at about a gazzillion miles an hour. He became such a head case that the Bears coach at the time, Vince Dooley, actually moved in with Douglass to "coach him" around the clock. Even though I was a kid at the time, it made alarms go off on my ghey meter.

 

He was, at least, fairly entertaining.

[Jumbie]

I remember him like it was yesterday. He had a ton of talent...and a monster arm. But, he just couldn't figure it all out. He would throw a 5 yard dump off at about a gazzillion miles an hour. He became such a head case that the Bears coach at the time, Vince Dooley, actually moved in with Douglass to "coach him" around the clock. Even though I was a kid at the time, it made alarms go off on my ghey meter.

 

He was, at least, fairly entertaining.

 

 

Might have been Jim Dooley...that part I can't remember too well...I was only 9 when Douglass came into the league.